An Infrared Survey of RW Aurigae Stars

An infrared photometric survey of 89 RW Aur type variables in both hemispheres has been made. JHKL magnitudes and colours are listed. The RW Aur variables include a small number of highly reddened late-type stars. All T Tauri and hot Orion population stars show infrared excesses and the infrared properties mark certain field stars as being young. The greatest infrared excesses are found for A and F stars while young variable B stars usually show no excesses. The location of the RW Aur stars in the two-colour H−K , K−L diagram favour dust re-radiation over free-free emission as the mechanism responsible for the infrared excess. A weak correlation of H−K with emission class links the occurrence of circumstellar dust and gas shells.

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